3. Bear in Mind
With a roar, the grizzly rose up on its hind legs and pawed the air, towering over the flames. Both eyes blazed an unearthly red, and its long claws flashed razor sharp.
“What the—!” Cal’s coffee went splashing off to the side as he grabbed for his Colt six-gun.
A shotgun muzzle dug in between his shoulder blades.
“Leave it,” came a rough voice, and Cal’s hand froze. “Bring him down, Bruno.”
Cal noticed a thick chain dangling from the bear’s neck. The large stranger who stepped out of the dark took hold of it with a tug. The bear, obviously well-trained, dropped to its forepaws with a docile snort.
“What is the meaning of this?” Cal demanded. “Who are you?”
The rough voice behind him chuckled. “We’re the guys with a reputation to keep.”
“Whose reputation?”
“This trail’s. Or didn’t you know? It’s called the Trail of Death.”
Coyote Cal’s heroic gaze narrowed. “So we’ve heard.”
“And did you read? Or are you illegitimate?”
Cal had to frown at that.
The rough voice continued, “The sign should have been clear enough: ‘Welcome to the Trail of Death. Go Home or Die’.”
“We assumed it was hyperbole. And besides, I don’t scare easily.”
The shotgun muzzle dug in deeper. “Hyperbole, huh?” the voice chuckled. “Hyperbole this!”
Cal groaned at the crash of the shotgun butt into his skull. He collapsed, unconscious.
“Why slug him and not plug him?” Bruno stood beside the grizzly with an arm over its shaggy shoulders.
“Because he’s Coyote Cal, you idiot.”
“The hero?”
“One and the same.” The shotgun butt came down again with a crack, this time against Big Yap’s sleeping skull. “And this one’s his senile sidekick.”
“What’re we gonna do with 'em?”
The rough voice snickered. “Way to build the suspense, Bruno.”
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9 comments:
I enjoyed the voice in this excerpt. I was hooked throughout.
cool blog
a delicious visit form philippines. :)
http://ohbite.blogspot.com/2012/01/be-real-barako-with-baklava.html
Intriguing use of dialogue to advance the story. Groovy:)
Thanks for reading!
I had to go back and read episodes 1 & 2. How fun! Great job.
That's what happens when you go embarking on the Trail of Death!
Yessir, I reckon.
Good stuff, Milo! But you already know I'm a fan!
Nice! A very strong voice, Milo.
Jennifer + Deborah: Gracias, amigas!
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